Njinga: Queen of Angola

In today’s episode, we are going farther back in time than any of our previous episodes, back to the foundations of the Transatlantic Slave Trade in Western Africa. We are not talking about a Capoeirista, we aren’t even talking about a Brazilian, but instead someone who is hugely important to the resistance of foreign influence to African nations and cultures. We are talking about Queen Njinga of Angola, a person who used every tactic available to her to keep her nation independent, and who’s legacy lead to the modern-day independent state of Angola. Angola is hugely important to Capoeira history and present-day culture, since the majority of the people stolen from Africa and brought to Brazil were from the region known as Portuguese Angola. The roots of many aspects of modern-day Capoeira are thus traced back to this region. Through this discussion, we will talk about how the Portuguese expanded into Western Africa, the methods Njinga used to resist them, and why Njinga’s image has needed to be rehabilitated in the way it has over the past few decades.

Here's where you can find my reference for this episode:
https://www.amazon.com/Njinga-Angola-Africas-Warrior-Queen/dp/0674971825

As always, please send any questions/comments/stories to desconfiado.mandinga@gmail.com